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Do you remember the Oroville Dam disaster of 2017? It caused nearly 190,000 people to be relocated and cost a stagger $1.1 billion in repairs for the state of California. While Oroville may be the first major dam failure we’ve seen recently, if extreme weather trends continue, it won’t be the last.
Scientists warn that the crazy weather we’ve been experiencing isn’t going to go away, and it will spell disaster for a lot of areas protected by dams.
If you don’t remember the Oroville disaster or need a little refresher, here’s a quick recap.
In early February of 2017 Lake Oroville was at high levels due to an influx of rain that wasn’t expected. Operator’s opened the spillway to relieve the pressure and help maintain normal levels within the dam, which is the tallest dam in the U.S. at 770 feet.
Lake Oroville is the second-largest man-made lake in the whole state of California and can hold more than 1.1 trillion gallons of liquid.
After the spillway was opened, the operators noted that there was something wrong with the flow on the spillway. It was stopped immediately, and what is discovered is disturbing – a huge hole in the spillway, causing flow issues. But remember, the lake’s levels are rapidly rising!
Officials are forced to use the spillway despite the damage. They try to control the release by slowing the water, but the crater is eroding with every drop that passes it.
On the 11th, water levels rise to over 900 feet, triggering the emergency spillway for the first time in the dam’s history. Erosion happened at the base of the emergency spillway faster than anyone expected, and on the 12th, 180,000 are evacuated from their homes in case it continues to get worse.
Once lake levels reach a safer, lower level, crews start working on repairing the extensive damage.
If you haven’t been paying attention, we have seen more rain in the US than expected this year, with wacky temperatures and more extreme weather forecasted for the future. It’s damaged millions of acres of cropland and thousands of people have suffered damages to their homes or businesses.
Both federal and state agencies are begging the government for increased funding to better protect our dams because it’s clear this is going to get worse before it gets better. However, the numbers needed are huge – tens of billions of dollars – and funding just isn’t coming through fast enough.
If you don’t think the damage is serious, consider this – the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the US’s dam system an overall grade of ‘D’ in 2017. That’s not a passing grade in a normal school, and we are talking about systems that hold back trillions of gallons of water.
The total cost of repairs to aging and crumbling dams that will directly threaten human life if they fail? Over $43 billion dollars. To fix all of the US’s dams? Over $70 billion.
Scientists warn that people who live around dams should be prepared for an evacuation or emergency event, just like they would be prepared for a flood or earthquake. Because unless something major happens, the extreme weather we are seeing is going to get worse – and with it, the dams that keep us dry and safe will continue to crumble.
